A sweet second half for the Seattle Seahawks ended on a sour note on Sunday night when starting back Chris Carson was carted off in garbage time.
The seventh-round rookie suffered a "significant" ankle injury, coach Pete Carroll told reporters after the game. Carroll didn't elaborate on how much time Carson would miss, but confirmed he will get an MRI soon.
"We don't know if he needs surgery, that kind of stuff, we don't know that yet," Carroll said. "But it's significant. So, we'll see."
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday morning that the team believes Carson broke his ankle based on initial tests. The MRI will determine the full extent of the damage, Rapoport added.
Carroll later confirmed Cason suffered a fracture below his knee cap, per ESPN.com, adding Cason will miss some time.
Carson's injury comes right as the first-year back was establishing himself as *the guy *in the Emerald City. Carson entered and exited Sunday night's win over the Colts as the team's leading rusher (202 yards). His decisive running and pass-catching ability were needed assets for a team still trying to fill the void left one year ago by Marshawn Lynch.
With Carson likely out for some time, starting responsibilities will likely fall to Eddie Lacy, who had his best statistical game of the young season this week (52 yards), or Thomas Rawls, who was a curious healthy scratch but earned confident praise from Carroll after the game. Also available are J.D. McKissic, who had a breakout performance against Indy, and the injured C.J. Prosise.
When it comes to the running back position in Seattle, consistency is a luxury, not an expectation. Losing your go-to tailback would sink some teams. Lucky for the Seahawks, they've gotten used to uncertainty in the backfield.
